Twisted Fate
by Esmooria
Summary: CU. People aren't born evil...and every villain has a story. A detailed story about how Onigumo became Naraku.
1. Prologue: Unconventional

**A/N: **Okay! So, this is my new story-and I'm quite excited about it. (Great ideas come from procrastination when dealing with writing papers for class. *sigh*) I've actually been toying with this idea for awhile, and decided to just go for it! So, this is my take on how Naraku became, well-Naraku. From the _very_ beginning. A bit out there, perhaps, but it's at least very fun to write!

As another note, this story will eventually become another story-Intertwined-and that will begin from the epilogue of this particular fic. I won't start that one until this one is finished, though. Which may make for quick updates, since I'm super excited about that one, too!

Word Count: 1,034

* * *

**Unconventional**

It was a rainy day—one that promised nothing but turmoil for one young teenager. Haruka closed her eyes as she stepped out of the small hut located on the edge of the village that had unquestioningly taken her in. She took in a deep breath as she gave one last glance for the village she had called home for the past six months before looking at the tightly wrapped baby in her arms. "Thank you," she whispered back at the village before covering her baby's head and going straight towards the forest.

In no time she was soaked, but she paid no mind; her baby was dry, and that's what mattered more than anything. A tiny sneeze brought her attention down to the wrapped baby in her arms, and it came to her attention that she hadn't quite kept him as dry as she'd like. A soft smile spread across her face as she repositioned the child, though the rain was coming down so hard that keeping him dry was nigh impossible. "Onigumo," she spoke quietly, and at the familiar name caused him to open his eyes before closing them slowly, and then tightly as a fitful of coughs escaped the boy's lips.

Perhaps she should've waited before running away.

It wasn't that she was ungrateful for the village's hospitality; it was simply that she missed home. But, she had been so afraid of them finding out of her pregnancy that she had run away at the first sign of her baby bump. She inhaled deeply, the smell of rain and her month-old baby intensified to her.

She was going home, but she knew she couldn't bring him with her.

She was only fourteen, and unmarried, after all—she'd be the ridicule of the village if they knew. She knew she had some explaining to do after running away, but she knew the trip home was a long one, and she was sure she could come up with _something_.

Haruka knew she could've left him in the village that had taken her in, but it seemed like such a poor way to repay them. They all loved Onigumo, and Onigumo loved them—but she didn't feel that it was right to force it on them. She had never planned on actually _telling_ them she was leaving, after all. But, she was sure she could find another nearby village who might want to take care of the baby.

It was then that a strong demonic aura nearly paralyzed her, and the only thing she could think to do was to hold Onigumo as closely to her chest as possible, her back facing whatever danger might be awaiting them.

* * *

"Akiko," Daichi murmured as he reached out a clawed hand, running fingers delicately through Akiko's black and purple hair. Pink eyes looked up at him, bright with happiness at her mate's proximity. She lifted up her own clawed fingers to run across one of the red stripes on his face—he had two on each cheek.

Suddenly, Akiko's head snapped around, and she whirled so that her back was facing her mate's, her long hair almost whipping him across the face.

"Akiko?" he murmured, but then the smell hit him—blood. Human blood. His red eyes slid over to her and he gave an almost-smirk. "You're going to get involved again, aren't you?" Her soft spot for humans was almost amusing to him—and it was certainly endearing.

"Daichi, you know I _have_ to," she said with a smile, and before he could protest, she had run off. The mingled scent of human's blood and snake youkai could be tracked from over a mile away, which worked well since the attack happened just that distance away from a small youkai settlement. Luckily for Akiko, the snake youkai was not a part of this settlement, but a constant pest to them.

"Many things can be said about that woman," Daichi murmured before dashing after her, "but one can certainly _never_ be bored with her."

* * *

At the two inuyoukai approaching, the snake youkai fled. It was obvious from their auras that they were stronger than him, and though he relished the thought of losing his snack, he valued his life more than his stomach.

"Oh…my," Akiko said with wide eyes as the sight of the blood-drenched teenager, lying like a lump in the ground, still protectively hovering over her baby, though the baby wasn't actually visible to the two inuyoukai. They could smell him, though—and then the young woman looked up, sorrow filling her big, brown eyes.

Akiko knelt down beside the teenager, instinct telling her that nothing could be done. Perhaps if their healer hadn't left to another youkai settlement to aid some of their wounded youkai, she could be saved—but even then, not many in their village would truly want to help a human. But she knew she could at least make her comfortable in some way—or, rather, she hoped so. She reached down to try to reposition the young girl, but was stopped by a weak voice.

"N-no," Haruka spoke softly, but shakily brought out Onigumo from her protective crouch, placing the baby boy in Akiko's still-outstretched arms. "H-his name is Onigumo." Those were her last words before she passed on, completely lifeless on the ground as the smell of death reached her nose.

Bringing the tiny baby protectively against her chest, she stood up and looked at her mate with big eyes. Immediately, Daichi came to her side and wrapped his arms around her, doing his best to protect both her and the tiny baby from the rain.

"You know they'll never understand," he murmured against her ear. But he knew better than anybody that Akiko wouldn't back down, and she would never leave the baby to die—and that's what he loved about her. She had the courage to do what he feared—to completely throw caution to the wind and do what she pleased, despite the comments and disapproval of others.

"I know." She closed her eyes and leaned her face into his chest, his chin resting on the top of her head. "It doesn't matter," she concluded, and smiled when he hummed his agreement.

"Let's go back home and get him—and us—dried up."

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**End Note:** Okay, so I'd love to hear your all's thoughts! :) So please, review!


	2. Unaccepted

**A/N: **So, here's the second chapter of this little fic. There will be another [short] chapter or two on him growing up, but after that is when it will start to get interesting (in my opinion). This chapter I could honestly take or leave, but I figured jumping him from baby straight to when he became wicked wouldn't really convey my point-that he wasn't _always_ evil. Enjoy!

**Word Count: **817

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**Unaccepted**

"You're never gonna catch us!" one kid teased, always staying just beyond Onigumo's reach as he chased the youkai children of the village around in a version of tag. He never noticed the differences between them—how he, Onigumo, was human, while the children—and adults—all around him were youkai. In the five years of his life, he'd been living there, and truthfully he knew nothing different.

Onigumo panted as Sanjiro, one of the small inuyoukai children, stayed just beyond his reach, teasing him by letting him get close and then leaping away. He was going just slow enough for it to be considered human speed—but just fast enough that there was no _way_ Onigumo could catch him. "Am too!" Onigumo argued, though he didn't have much faith; he'd played this game with them _many_ times, and he'd always been 'it' and never caught anyone.

The children of the village had been instructed not to mention the fact that Onigumo was human—especially since that fact had never quite been mentioned to Onigumo himself. But of course the youkai children knew—and as a result, they couldn't help but see Onigumo as being a joke. They were all much older than he was in years, and their minds developed more quickly—so they teased him without him knowing he was being teased.

Sanjiro chuckled as he let Onigumo get _just_ a little bit closer than usual, and then dashed out of the way. And then—"Ouch!" Onigumo fell forward, his face hitting the dirt. Sanjiro's nose wrinkled as he caught the scent of Onigumo's blood, and then took a couple steps back.

"You okay?" There was a small hint of concern in the boy's tone, causing a few of the other youkai children to snicker. Quickly, Sanjiro jumped back so that he was with the rest of them, and then started laughing, trying to cover up his earlier slip. "You're not gonna be a crybaby, are you?"

Standing up, Onigumo brushed some of the dirt off of his haori, smearing the dirt and blood on his sweat-drenched face. "O-of course not," he sniffled. He was only five years old, but the youkai children had already grown out of crying whenever they hurt themselves—of course, they also healed much more quickly than he did. Despite his declaration not to cry, the tears blurred in his eyes when the other kids continued laughing at him, and he turned around and high-tailed it home.

* * *

"Honey, what happened?" Akiko's voice was laced with concern as she dabbed a wet cloth above Onigumo's brow, where the biggest cut was.

"I fell down when we were playing tag, and the other kids laughed at me," he sniffled out, though he had calmed down considerably now that he was in the arms of his mother.

It was at that point that Daichi entered the hut—he had smelled his son's blood and his tears, and come running. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw how small the situation was. Akiko looked up at him with a sad smile before turning her attention back to her only son.

"It'll be okay, sweetie." She finished washing the blood and dirt off of his face, she placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "But, it's time for _you_ to get to bed." Onigumo looked up at her with sleepy eyes and only nodded before Akiko picked him up, carrying him over to his cot and tucking him in.

"Goodnight, dear," she murmured softly, kissing his forehead again, just above his brow where the scratch was.

"Night, Mama."

"Goodnight, son," Daichi said almost as quietly as Akiko, and gave Onigumo's hair a little ruffle and a smile.

"Night, Papa."

* * *

"We can't do this for much longer," Daichi said, his voice low for fear of waking Onigumo. They were in their own bedroom, but the night was quiet, and Onigumo was notorious for not sleeping through the night.

"I know…" Akiko's eyes drifted to the floor, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "I just hate to uproot him from everything he knows and seclude him…"

"He's going to start noticing something soon, you know. The other kids are going to appear ageless to him, and soon he's going to realize that _he_ is growing and _they_ aren't." Daichi reached out and took Akiko's hand, his thumb tracing gently over the top of her hand. "We _could_ always just…tell him," he said, his voice a whisper now—more for his mate's sake than because he was afraid his son would overhear.

"N-no…we can't. Not yet." Akiko's voice was shaky, as it always got when this subject came up. "He's not old enough."

"Fair enough," Daichi agreed, and then took a deep breath.

"We'll move next week," Akiko whispered, "to just outside the human village that helped us when he was a baby."

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**End Note:** Please review!


	3. Rejected

**A/N: **Okay, SO I think I have a system. I'll be updating this story every Sunday. There's also a new one I'm writing, for the dokuga_contest's weekly drabble contests, that's SessxKag. I have some others in the making, too, like a continuation of my oneshot "Figurine" as well as an actual InuyashaxKagome pairing. Just so you all know!

Word Count: 1,355

Enjoy!

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**Rejected**

"Papa, wake up!" Onigumo's excited voice rang throughout the cave that had become their home almost eight years ago as he ran into his parents' chamber, resisting the urge to pounce on their bed to speed up the waking process.

"Mmrph," Daichi grumbled—generally it was _he_ who woke up the boy, not the opposite way around. After all, it wasn't even sunrise yet!

"Pap-aa," he said again, emphasizing his impatience by drawing out the word, wide eyes adjusting to the darkness in the room.

Daichi cracked an eye open—he, after all, could see perfectly in the darkness—and noted with a small smile that Onigumo was already dressed and ready. "Happy birthday, son. I believe your mother is already making breakfast; after that we'll start the hunt."

Excitement lit up the boy's eyes almost as much as it lit up his smile, and with a quick nod he turned and rushed out of the room to give his father some privacy. Daichi went out to hunt frequently—and Onigumo had started begging to go as soon as he turned eight. Every time he asked, his father always replied that he would take him on his thirteenth birthday.

It was hard for Daichi to see him as ready, still, though. He was around 50 years old whenever he got to go on _his_ first hunt—and Onigumo wasn't near that age. But he of course knew from experience that human's grew much more quickly than youkai. It was terrible, in his opinion—though he knew Akiko would be the one to voice it, he too felt that his son was growing up _way_ too fast.

* * *

"Good morning, sweetheart!" Akiko's voice sang out, and she stepped away from the fire where their breakfast was cooking to sweep him into her arms and kiss his forehead. "Happy birthday!"

"Ma-maaaa," he groaned, wriggling in her grasp until she let him down. Every time that happened, Akiko had a mini panic attack—what if he realized just how much stronger she was than he? "I'm not a little kid anymore! I'm thirteen today!"

She smiled sweetly, though his declaration almost broke her heart. Thirteen was so young—and humans grew so much quicker than youkai. She'd expected to be able to coddle him _much_ longer. "I know, sweetie." She placed her hand on his shoulder, shaking her head softly. "My, my. You're turning into such a nice young man—going on your first hunt today! But my little boy is growing up _way_ too fast!"

Daichi chuckled from his place still within the cave; he'd certainly called _that_ one.

"Mama, I'm not going anywhere any time soon!" This caused Akiko's smile to soften even further.

"I know you aren't. Now come on, eat up, you've got a long day ahead of you!"

* * *

"Bye, Mama! We'll be back at sunset!" It was all Onigumo could do to keep somewhat calm—he was so much more excited than he was letting on.

Daichi bent down slightly to kiss his mate, smiling at her softly. "I love you, and we'll see you tonight," he promised, and her smile made him fall in love with her all over again.

"I can't wait for my two men to come back home," was her response, and she was able to hide the tears from her eyes until they left.

* * *

"Great shot!" Daichi whispered his encouragement, running his fingers through his cropped white hair as he crouched down low, motioning for Onigumo to do the same. Red eyes jumped from the wounded three-eyed bear youkai to Onigumo, who had an eager smile on his face with the bow and arrow in his hands.

"Papa," Onigumo whispered back, "he's not an intelligent youkai, like us, is he?"

Daichi almost winced at his son's assumption—one that neither he nor Akiko had ever had the heart to set straight with him. Onigumo had no reason to assume he wasn't a youkai, to think that he might be human—and so, he didn't.

"No, he's not. The strongest youkai are those who are able to take on a human form. This is a lower-level youkai, the kind that we eat."

Without a second thought, Onigumo sent the arrow flying, hitting the bear in the middle of the forehead—and directly piercing his middle eye. "Only the intelligent youkai deserve to live then, right Papa?"

This statement startled Daichi—it certainly wasn't a lesson they'd ever taught him. "Of course not, son—it is only good to kill when it is necessary, either to live or for food. Only the lesser youkai kill unnecessarily—or the evil ones."

Onigumo nodded as he let another arrow soar, this time piercing the struggling bear youkai in the heart, killing in instantly. He'd been practicing his archery since he was six, and he was actually very good—Daichi was impressed. "In that case, to be merciful, we should always kill the things necessary quickly, right Papa?"

"Right." He breathed a sigh of relief, a small smile stretching across his lips. _That_ was more like it.

The two males stood up, and Daichi grinned down at his son. "Why don't you go look for some firewood while I clean him and prepare him to take home to your Mother? I'll teach you all about that in our next hunting trip."

"Okay, Papa!" Onigumo smiled and ran off, determination of another task in front of him.

* * *

She was _beautiful_. So beautiful that he almost dropped all of his firewood. Instead, he opted to set it down gently before approaching the young maiden. She had long, white hair and deep, purple eyes, and he almost couldn't breathe. All of a sudden he was seeing his parents in his mind's eye, and how happy they were—and he was imagining being that happy with this young girl…who he had yet to say even one word to.

"H-hey—Miss!"

The young girl turned around at his words, her eyes assessing him almost as much as her nose was. She couldn't understand why a young human boy was approaching her—didn't he realize she could be dangerous?

"Yes?" Her curiosity was more defined than her desire to just turn and walk away, so instead she stayed.

"My name is Onigumo. What's your name?" Hope filled his eyes—and his scent—when she didn't turn away immediately.

"My name is Kohana," she began, and then after a few moments—"Why are you here?"

"I was just getting some firewood for my father; we went hunting today and I shot a bear youkai!" He felt he had the right to brag—it _was_ his first hunting trip, after all.

"Hm," Kohana hummed softly, her nose detecting his hope and she suddenly realized that, if given the chance to know her, he would be—and already was—hoping for more. "Well Onigumo, it was nice to meet you, but you should know that we just don't mix. It's just not done, and when it is the results are never good." It really was nothing against him; he seemed nice enough—but he was _human_, and she was a youkai. She wasn't about to give herself the chance to fall for a human, no matter now nice he was. "So, I'm going to be going now—and you shouldn't come looking for me."

In the blink of an eye, she was gone, and Onigumo couldn't place where she had gone. A frown tugged at the corners of his lips as he mulled over her words—and ended up just more confused than before. What didn't mix? Weren't they the same?

He sighed before turning around and picking up the firewood he'd collected, shaking his head softly. He didn't know what she meant, but it didn't matter now. The rejection still hurt, but it wasn't as if he actually _knew_ her, so he couldn't take it too personally.

Daichi closed his saddened eyes as he watched from afar, hidden from his son's view, and knew that, if they didn't tell him soon, he'd find out on his own eventually.

* * *

**End Note:** This is the last _younger_ Onigumo scene in the fic. In my next update, he'll be 17-but no spoilers there. ;) Please review!


	4. Joy

**A/N:** I am an exceedingly impatient person sometimes. I wrote this, and didn't want to wait until Sunday. This little fic has thirteen chapters (including the epilogue) and prolonging it that long when I actually have it written seems almost criminal. So I've decided, even if I can't hold out on suspense very long, I'll be updating this fic _probably_ at least twice a week. Probably not back-to-back days like I did yesterday and today, but maybe Sundays and Wednesdays. Maybe even more. Because, you know, after this chapter is when it gets good.

In my humble opinion, anyway. ;)

For those of you who read As It Should Be, I promise I'll try updating that one soon, too. The same goes for those of you who await the continuation of Figurine; I _do_ have the chapter half-written, or maybe not quite half-but it's at least started.

In case any of you are wondering, the amount of time I now have has grown exponentially now that my fiance is back at school. Good for writing, but..well, you know, it kind of sucks anyway.

My new fic, _Conquered_, will be officially posted to this site on Friday. It will be updated every week on Friday, and bi-weekly on Mondays or Tuesdays, since I'll be waiting until the winners of each contest are announced.

Okay, so here we go!

**Word Count:** 722

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**Joy**

Onigumo paced the length of the mouth of the cave, his eyes on the ground and his feet staying on the grass, never crossing into stone. His parents and told him to wait outside, and while he was more than anxious about the birth of his baby sister, he didn't exactly want to be _in_ the cave when that was happening, so being banned was fine by him.

He couldn't hear very much; his human ears didn't permit it. Though he didn't know that—his parents had never quite corrected the assumption that he, too, was a youkai.

Soon, Daichi was at the mouth of the cave, and with the amount that he was sweating, it was hard to believe that this was the cool and collected youkai that Onigumo had grown up with the past seventeen years.

"What is it, Papa?"

Taking a deep breath, Daichi handed Onigumo a scrawled out list. "Run to the village and get us a few supplies; we thought we had a little more time and didn't get the proper supplies for a newborn baby.

"But it's a _human_ village—will they have sufficient supplies?" Daichi only nodded before running back in with his mate, and Onigumo shook his head. With how nervous his father appeared, it was almost like he had never done this before!

Onigumo read the list as he made his way to the village, glad to have something to do in the face of his nervousness. He hadn't been to the human village that often, but he _had_ been—and he had yet to notice the similarities between the humans and himself. It wasn't all that strange, really—it just wasn't an option for him to be human, in his mind, so why would his mind entertain thoughts of similarities between himself and _them_? His family had raised him to not be prejudiced, but he couldn't help feeling so—the youkai were a superior race, and he was proud to classify himself with them.

Both Akiko and Daichi could see this feeling growing within their son, and while it was a common feeling for a youkai, it saddened them greatly. He _wasn't_ a youkai, and they hated seeing that he was so proud to call himself something he wasn't. It had hindered in them telling him the truth for far too long.

Of course, it didn't seem like that long to the two of them. At seventeen, he certainly wouldn't have matured as much as he had as a human—he probably would've appeared like the five year old he had been when they left. They couldn't deceive themselves into thinking he was that boy, though. Every day he grew, and every day the thought that he didn't know yet crossed the couple's minds. However well-intentioned they were in not telling them, they both realized it was a mistake—and one that was _not_ going to be easy to correct.

* * *

When Onigumo returned from the village with the supplies, the newest member of their family had been born. Little Kaiya looked up at Onigumo with bright red eyes, giving a toothless smile that made his heart melt. The two red markings on each cheek were inherited from their father, as well as her bright white hair and red eyes. But she had one purple streak in her bangs, and her mother's face; to Onigumo, it seemed like she was the perfect mix of his two parents.

For the first time in his entire existence, he wondered why _he_ looked nothing like his parents.

"Would you like to hold her?" Akiko's soft murmur brought Onigumo out of that near-dangerous train of thought, and he smiled down at the baby, reaching his arms out as she placed Kaiya in his arms. Cradling the small baby close, he closed his eyes and started humming the lullaby that his parents sang to him up until he insisted he was too old for such things.

The scene brought warmth to Akiko's heart, and put a huge smile on Daichi's face.

In that moment, nothing seemed to matter—Daichi and Akiko's secret, Onigumo's first moment of doubt, their all too secluded life—for once, everything seemed absolutely perfect as the three of them stared at the newborn baby.

* * *

If only this perfection could've lasted forever.

* * *

**End Note:** Does anyone else feel like my update was as long as this chapter? ;) Even so, I hope you review anyway!


	5. The Ugly Truth

**A/N:** Well, by the title, you all might be guessing what is happening here. I have the next few chapters written already, but I'm going to be sticking with my Sundays-Wednesdays updates for it. I doubt I'll miss any days (unless I post just one day late or so, if I'm super busy) because I'm highly enjoying writing this little fic...even if it _is_ my least popular story. ;)

Anyway, two new stories are out: _Conquered_ and _Sweet Sensations_. They are both SessKag, with _Sweet Sensations _featuring almost all of the supporting characters-and a younger Kaede. ;)

**Word Count:** 803

Do enjoy!

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The Ugly Truth

It had been three months since Kaiya had been born, and the months had been happier than any Onigumo could remember. Their small family had already been filled with happiness, but the new addition to their family made it seem impossible for sadness to take its hold, no matter what happened.

Onigumo was currently on babysitting duty, and he didn't mind it one bit. His parents had gone out to spend some alone-time together, and he was more than happy to oblige when they asked if he would mind to babysit his new sibling.

"What is it, Kaiya?" Onigumo's head drooped slightly to the side when he saw Kaiya's eyes focus on the entrance to the cave. There had been little things like that, making him question things—like, how everyone in the family seemed so alert, and most of the time he felt like he had no idea what was going on, and how they could always tell when it was going to rain by the scent, and _he_ could only smell it after it had already started. But he could never find the desire to dwell on these questions for long, because whenever the thoughts came up, Kaiya would do something so sweet or so _adorable_ that the thought slipped out of his head.

He had never thought much of it before Kaiya, either—once he realized he looked nothing like his parents, and that even _Kaiya_ seemed alert—he started to doubt, but what he doubted he had no idea.

"Hello?" A small voice came from just outside the cave, and Onigumo's brows furrowed as he picked up Kaiya and secured her in his arms.

"Yes?" At this point, Onigumo exited the cave, and his eyes focused on a young boy who didn't look to be more than seven years old—if that. The boy's eyes widened upon seeing him, and his mouth dropped open.

"O-Onigumo?" This caused another look of confusion onto Onigumo's face—did he know this boy? He hadn't _really_ met anyone since he was…

"…San…jiro?" He didn't look any older than when he had known him in the village! And yet Onigumo—he looked almost as old as his parents did… "You look…the same," Onigumo mumbled dumbly—but Sanjiro hadn't quite discovered his mistake yet.

"Wow, the village was right! Humans _do_ age really quickly! So when did your parents tell you?" Sanjiro was looking up at Onigumo with such innocence that he couldn't quite despise him. He couldn't say the same about his parents, though—his entire life, they'd been lying to him, letting him assume he was youkai and never even attempting to tell him he was wrong! He knew that things would _not_ be pleasant when they got home today.

He shifted Kaiya in his arms and bent down so that he was level with Sanjiro. "Not terribly long ago," Onigumo lied. After all, he didn't want Sanjiro feeling guilty for spilling the beans that his parents _should_ have spilled long before he had neared _human_ adulthood. "Sanjiro, why did you come?"

Sanjiro could smell the deception that Onigumo had only used so that he wouldn't feel guilty—and Sanjiro felt guilty anyway. He hadn't known? They _still_ hadn't told him? But he knew that Onigumo was doing it for him—and so, he decided to play along.

"Oh, the village was talking about how your parents had a baby, and I wanted to come see! I had heard you all had moved out here, and I wasn't supposed to come but I did anyway, so I could see." Sanjiro peeked over Onigumo's protective grasp of who he just found out _wasn't_ his sister, and gave a small smile that hid his guilt quite well. "What's her name?"

"Her name is Kaiya," was Onigumo's quiet response. _They named her forgiveness._ He suspected that they hadn't meant to keep this from him that long, but it would've been so much better coming _from _them. No—it would've come better from them _much_ earlier in life. Preferably as soon as he would've understood the difference between youkai and humans.

"That's pretty." Sanjiro looked at Onigumo, and saw the ill-concealed hurt and confusion in his eyes—not to mention his scent. "I should go," Sanjiro whispered, and Onigumo nodded.

"Goodbye, Sanjiro." It wasn't as much of a farewell as it was a promise—Onigumo had already decided he was leaving that night.

* * *

Akiko and Daichi returned from their evening alone to find a sleeping Kaiya and a short letter from Onigumo.

'_I know everything. I will not be returning here; I'm going to find where I belong. Don't come looking for me, I do not want you to. I won't return with you if you do.'_

Daichi, Akiko, and Kaiya would never see Onigumo again.

* * *

**End Note:** Bum bum buuuumm... Okay, just kidding. But please review! :)


	6. Onigumo: The Bandit

**A/N:** Ha! I'm on a schedule, finally!

But, I guess I should warn you all. My laptop is doing some funky stuff, and I'm going to have to send it in to HP. :/ I'll be sending it out on September 8th or so (since that's when this quarter is over for me), and I'll probably be without it for two weeks. I'll try to get some more of it written out and on a jump drive so that I can keep on schedule with both this and my newer stories (as well as those I have in the making), but it IS possible that there will be a couple weeks I just won't be posting.

Sorry in advance, but it has been doing this for awhile, it's only now getting more frequent. And my warranty ends in December, so I'd like to get it taken care of while it's free. ;)

ANYWAY, hope you enjoy this next installment!

**Word Count:** 1,187

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**Onigumo: The Bandit**

"Oi, Onigumo!" One of the men—Onigumo had yet to learn his name—called him over and eyed him, and his rather small gathering of supplies from the last village they had plundered. "You got the whole section closest to the forest! What's with that puny amount of items ya' got there? I _know_ you're good at this; we've all seen you in action!"

There was a small stretch of silence as Onigumo weighed his options on whether or not to tell the truth. Before he could reply, however, another one of the men piped up.

"Onigumo, you know you're never gonna get anything if you just pick the families without kids!" This was the voice of Takashi, who happened to be the one man in the group that Onigumo had gotten along with from the start. He, for some odd reason, understood him without needing to know _anything_ about him.

Of course, the reason he joined this group of bandits was because they didn't ask any questions—it was the total and complete acceptance that he'd lacked from his peers all his life. The only people who had ever accepted him were his parents—and, since he'd decided he hated them, going back to them was certainly out of the question.

"I…know," Onigumo finally said, and Takashi slapped a hand on his shoulder and chuckled.

"You're young yet; you'll learn, kid. The families aren't gonna appreciate you not stealing from them because they have kids—they're only gonna hate you for raiding the village in the first place. Take what you can get and _enjoy_ getting everything in life for free!"

Onigumo felt like that might've been the worst advice he'd ever been given—but he took the advice to heart, anyway.

* * *

_A few years later_

"Oi, Onigumo!" Takashi's voice carried through the village, and Onigumo sauntered over towards the male, his arms crossed as he waited for him to continue. "I found another one, what do you want me to do with 'im?"

Onigumo's eyes followed the direction of Takashi's pointed finger, and soon rested on a young boy with a dirty, tear stained face and a trembling demeanor. "He looks weak," he commented lightly, but then he bent down and studied him. "You. Are you an orphan?"

The boy timidly nodded, and Onigumo smirked—he never smiled anymore. The years had not been good to him; he had friends and stole for a living, but it was a harder life than one would expect. He had buffed up quite a bit, but one wouldn't know it to look at his face. He looked about ten years older than he was, and his cheeks and eyes were sunken.

"You think you have what it takes to join our little entourage? We can't offer _too_ much; we sleep under the stars and take what we can get, but we can offer protection." Takashi could still hardly believe that the 'kid' that had become their leader could have such a different personality around children—especially orphaned children. In the years that they had been together, Takashi _still_ didn't know Onigumo's story—but he suspected that he had been an orphan.

He would've been very surprised to know just how good Onigumo had it before running away.

The boy looked between Takashi and Onigumo, and then let his eyes fall on the rest of the entourage—who all happened to still be plundering his village. After a few moments, he slowly shook his head, turning fearful eyes onto Onigumo to see what he would do.

"Alright, then," Onigumo said with a sigh, placing his hand on the boy's head momentarily before standing up and looking at his friend, the boy running away as soon as his hand had moved. Each fresh rejection played a part in the hardening of Onigumo's heart, though he appeared unaffected by each and every one of them.

"Looks like we're done here." He lifted up the bag he'd accumulated from the village and turned to walk away, never calling to his followers. As soon as they realized he'd started to leave, they all gathered what they had plundered and rushed after him, catching up with his pace fairly easily.

* * *

"What about that village over there?" Takashi pointed almost excitedly to the village that was just up ahead, then looked towards his leader and friend for a confirmation. At a small nod from Onigumo, the rest of the men ran forward, though Onigumo neither slowed nor quickened his pace. He knew his men would leave the largest hut in the village for him.

Upon Onigumo's arrival, the rest of the men had already gotten the most of what they could out of the huts, and Onigumo scoured the one they had left for him. He gathered as much as he could: carvings, trinkets, utensils, jewels, grains, rice—anything small that he knew would sell well. He'd already sold what he had taken from the village just a few days ago, and though the money would last him awhile, this _was_ his living. At best, the money he made as only used to get into unsuspecting people's homes, and then take from them what he could before they awoke.

Weak villages like this, though, gave him no reason to disguise himself or his men. They were bandits, and here they would take by force anything they could get their hands on. The only villages they were sneaky with were the villages with well-trained men protecting them. These days, most of the trained men were taking part in the wars, so that left Onigumo's life much easier.

He let out a small sigh as he gathered the last of the things, throwing the bag over his shoulder. Before he exited, however, he put on a smirk, his gait now shining of confidence rather than brokenness. His men never needed to know.

"Onigumo!" His eyes fell on one of the newer men, who had lined up all the orphans in the village. He'd seen what Onigumo had done in the _last_ village, and though he didn't understand it—he wanted to impress him. "What do you want—"

"Do what you want with them; I have no business here any longer." Turning his back on the situation once more, he waited for the men to follow them.

Takashi's surprise lasted only as long as Onigumo faced them, and as soon as he turned to walk away, Takashi followed. He couldn't say he knew what was going on in Onigumo's mind, but he could understand why he had given up on asking the orphaned children to join them. Not _one_ of them had said yes; they all chose to live in poverty. He, for one, was relieved that Onigumo had grown out of _that_ stage.

Onigumo never let his chin drop as he marched forward; he was not going to allow himself to feel the pang of rejection again. Not from his men, not from his parents—and _certainly_ not from some kids he didn't even know.

Their group would be stronger without _children_ following them around, anyway.

* * *

**End Note:** Please review, and I hope you enjoyed~!


	7. The Fire

**A/N:** I decided to update a little early (I will still be updating Sunday), because I'd _love_ to get this fic completely cranked out before the loss of my computer for two weeks or more. Since I already had this and the next chapter written, and I _know_ my immenent procrastination for actual school papers will kick in this weekend (which means I will definitely have Wednesday's chapter finished, as well), I thought...why not?

I do realize these updates are getting more and more depressing. But...well, we all knew _this_ part was coming. The story probably (-coughs- definitely) won't be getting any happier until it's the story branching from this one (_Intertwined_). For those of you who are wondering, there will be quite a few characters playing a large role in this, even though the 'main' character is an OC: Naraku, Miroku's grandfather, Kaede, Sesshoumaru, Kanna, Kagura, and (eventually) Inuyasha. The fic will span over more than 50 years, but will focus on certain parts.

This update is short, but there will be another longer one on Sunday. ;) Enjoy!

**Word Count:** 540

**Warnings:** I'm not sure if I'd go so far as to say this chapter is grotesque; however, it's the most descriptive I've ever gone when speaking of injuries. (Because of my own weak stomach I don't feel that it's very descriptive even at that, but I felt the warning would be nice - just in case.)

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**The Fire**

Onigumo's eye cracked open just as the sun began to rise, though he laid in silence for the moments that followed. There was something peaceful about the first moments of the day, when his men were asleep and he could just _be_.

He wasn't a leader, or a follower, or a bandit, or a runaway—he was just himself, which seemed like a rare instance these days.

Suppressing a groan at his first companion's loud awakening, Onigumo forced himself up, propping himself on his elbow to look at him. Jiro gave him a toothy grin, and Onigumo just shook his head as his eyes fell on the rest of his sleeping men, knowing the silence was not long in being broken.

His notion was proven right upon Takashi's awakening; seconds later, Takashi was up and shaking the rest of the men, eager to get going.

_He is __way__ too chipper in the mornings_, Onigumo begrudgingly thought. He didn't have a chance to dwell on this, though, since suddenly he was the only person remaining on the ground.

With a longsuffering sigh, he got up, grabbing his meager belongings and giving his men a wide—however forced—grin.

He was growing tired of this life.

With that rather enlightened thought in mind, he turned and pressed on to the next village they would plunder.

* * *

His mind was racing as he looked around for his men, unable to find them in the thick of the smoke. It had all happened so suddenly that there was no escaping—and no gathering the lot of them together. Onigumo was at the edge of the village, escape in sight, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

In all reality, he didn't care about half the men in his entourage. But there was _one_ he would never forgive himself if he left behind, and that was Takashi.

Takashi had fully accepted him, treated him as an equal, and then left with him when he had decided to gather his _own_ group of bandits. He just couldn't bring himself to escape to safety alone.

He didn't have a chance at finding him; his unfortunate lack of an inuyoukai's sight and smell hindered him in that area. He was so imperfectly human, and he had always been a human when he thought otherwise. Perhaps he was strong, but how strong _is_ strong when it's only human strength? Since finding out, he'd seen himself as weak—and he knew that, at this moment, he'd give _anything_ to be strong. _Like a youkai_.

When he finally did stumble into Takashi's location, it was too late. The smell of burning flesh was strong even to Onigumo's human nose, and when the smoke cleared just enough for him to see that it was, in fact, Takashi, he had to cover his mouth to keep from vomiting.

He was long beyond saving, and Onigumo turned and ran straight into the flames. To get somewhere—anywhere—from _that_ place.

Soon, the smell of his own burning flesh caught his nose, skin so numb he hadn't even realized he'd been burning.

Onigumo collapsed, and as his consciousness slipped away, he thought he might've felt the pull of another to rescue him from the flames.

* * *

**End Note:** Well, as I mentioned in the author's note-we all knew this was coming, eventually. Doesn't make it any less sad (especially at the loss of Onigumo's only friend... -sighs- I liked him, too...), but it was all necessary. ...In my mind, anyway. ;)

Please do review!


	8. The Priestess That Found Him

**A/N:** As promised! ;)

This week will be busy since it's my last week of classes, _but _I already have the next chapter partly written, so I'm not too worried about making my self-appointed deadline. Also, I think this will end up being 12 chapters total, including the epilogue, instead of 13 - I combined two chapters that were separate in my outline (...I think. xD), so..yeah. Yay for even numbers! (I have a bit of an OCD with that. ;D)

Anyway, please enjoy!

**Word Count:** 1,326

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**The Priestess That Found Him**

An entire week had passed before Onigumo awakened, but it felt as if it had just been that morning that the fire had consumed him. He could remember everything clearly: the flames, his dead companion, the smell of burnt flesh, the flames lapping against his skin until his numbness was complete.

He didn't even feel human anymore. His eyes worked, and upon testing his voice he found that he could, at least, speak, but he didn't feel the rest of his body. Was it even attached to his head anymore?

Logic told him that remaining alive as just a head was impossible, though he felt as if he really were just _that_—a head, and nothing more.

When his mind cleared enough, his eyes scanned the area—what he could see of it, anyway. He was lying on his back, staring up at the stone ceiling of—_a cave. Hn…_

The memories this lonely cave brought back were too much to bear in his current condition, so he turned his mind over to other things, like trying to move his dead limbs. More than an hour passed and he'd made absolutely no progress, and since there was no one to talk to, he resigned to just lying there, thinking.

By the time Kikyou arrived at the cave to check on him, he'd convinced himself they'd thought him dead, and left him in the cave as his final resting place. From what he could tell, he was completely wrapped up, though his eyes and his mouth _were_spared from the wrappings. The quiet footsteps of the miko brought his thoughts to a halt, and when she entered the cave, he nearly stopped breathing.

"I see you're awake," the miko commented lightly as she brought a cup of cool water to his lips. He drank greedily, not sure if she required an answer or if she even knew he was still capable of speech.

As soon as she'd taken the cup away, he cleared his throat and tested his voice once more—this time with an audience.

"Thank you." His voice sounded strange, raspy—and it didn't sound like himself. Not only that, but he was not accustomed to showing gratitude of any kind since leaving the cave his parents had raised him in.

The small smile that pulled at the miko's lips was enchanting.

"I'm glad to see that the fire didn't rob you of your voice." A few moments of silence passed before she spoke again. "What is your name, bandit?"

Onigumo smirked, though he knew the full effect of it couldn't be seen through the bandages. He'd been called that so many times—and even though she knew what he was, she still was caring for him. "My name is Onigumo."

Curious eyes watched her, seeing if she would reciprocate without him having to ask. When she didn't, he let out a small sigh. "And what do they call _you_, miko?"

Amusement sparkled in her eyes as they locked with his. She noted that his eyes seemed to strain to see her, given that he couldn't even change the position of his head. "Most people call me just that—miko. However, my name is Kikyou."

"So, Kikyou—how did you discover that I was a bandit?"

"I was in the village as it set fire; I saw the whole thing." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Well, what the smoke would allow me to see. I assisted the villagers in pulling out their comrades from the fire; they claimed you were in the group of bandits that arrived just before it started."

The silence stretched on for a few minutes before she quietly added, "You were the only one that survived."

Onigumo's eyes rarely closed even long enough to blink, but now he closed them, making a noise from the back of his throat. "I figured as much."

The thought then occurred to him that he was only in this cave because the people of her village wouldn't have accepted her taking care of him. It was just another in the long line of rejection, and he didn't have the energy to be offended.

* * *

The weeks stretched on, and Kikyou came to care for him every day. Onigumo had resigned to being mostly quiet, letting _her _do most of the talking. She wasn't one to feel uncomfortable after long stretches of silence; however, she knew that Onigumo had to have been lonely, so she spoke frequently when she was there, anyway.

She spoke of her sister, her village, and many other things. The two things that caught his interest the most was her being the protector of the Shikon no Tama—and her growing fascination for a hanyou named Inuyasha.

He started to despise this hanyou that he didn't even know, because he had fallen for Kikyou—both in love and in lust—and this Inuyasha had stolen her heart. It was plain to see that she had fallen in love; Onigumo wasn't very in tune to feeling the auras of others, but he could tell that her desire to be a miko was weakening, and that her spiritual powers seemed to be waning.

In his opinion, her greatest mistake was not killing Inuyasha the first time he tried to steal the jewel.

Whenever Kikyou left, he spent his free time fantasizing about her. He fantasized that she was his, and his alone, and that he could move and that she gave _him_the jewel instead of Inuyasha. With that fantasy came the thought that, if she gave it to him, that her soul might be tainted—and, with that, the once-pure jewel would become even more beautiful, because it would be tainted, too.

These fantasies got him through any period of time Kikyou wasn't there, and after awhile, he preferred these fantasies to her actual company—and these desires started consuming his heart.

* * *

It didn't take Kikyou long to realize what was happening with Onigumo. His heart was hardening, darkening, and his aura was darker than any human being she'd ever come in contact with.

But, at the same time, he was completely paralyzed. Surely her taking care of him could do no harm; if anything, the care she was giving to him could hopefully put his soul to rest, and when he died, she could only hope he died in peace.

It was with these thoughts that she continued her daily trips, continued telling him stories, and continued caring for the man that she knew was becoming evil.

"Sister, can I come with you?" Kikyou stopped in her tracks at the voice of her younger sister, and she turned slightly, offering a smile.

"Kaede, you may accompany me, but I'm going to have to ask you not to tell the villagers of where we're going." Questioning eyes looked up at Kikyou, but her trusting heart is what caused her head to nod, promising secrecy.

* * *

"That man…he's evil," Kaede whispered softly when the two took their leave, clinging to Kikyou's arm in a desperate attempt to feel protection—a feeling she lacked the entire time they were up there.

"Yes…he is," Kikyou agreed, letting out a soft sigh before lowering her eyes. "But he's immobilized. He'll die that way, and there's nothing else he can ever do—so we must care for him until that day comes."

"He gives me a weird feeling. I don't like him," Kaede protested, but her sister's reserve had never before faltered at another's wish.

"The only time Onigumo isn't in complete solitude is when I am there to care for him." Downcast eyes slid to meet Kaede's with a soft and sad smile. "I can only imagine how lonely he is." Kikyou's response only served to confirm Kaede's belief, and she gave a resigned sigh.

Unfortunately, the next day, Onigumo was gone, the perfect silhouette of his body seemingly burned into the spot his body had occupied.

* * *

**End Note:**And thus ends the chapter on Kikyou x Onigumo's relationship. I have to say, I quite enjoyed this chapter! As much as I love writing SessKag and InuKag fics, I have to say that Kikyou's character has always intrigued me, and I dislike her being depicted as 'the bad guy' as she so often is. I believe a Kagome x Kikyou fic is in the making - a friendship fic, of course. ;) Okay, anyway, back to the story - please review! :D


	9. My Name is Naraku

**A/N: **Ah! So, I looked at my old outline and realized something. I didn't combine _two_ chapters, but _three_. So, after this chapter, only _two_ more will be posted. This leaves us with the good news that the story will be coming to an end next Wednesday - or is that considered bad news? ;) Luckily, as I've mentioned before, another story will branch from this one - _Intertwined_. Good ole Naraku will be one of the main characters of the first arc, Sesshoumaru in the second arc, and Inuyasha in the third arc - as well as many of the supporting characters playing a fairly large role in the plot of the story. If you all can force yourselves to read a story largely about an original character, I'd love the feedback - but I won't be offended if you don't. ;)

Enjoy!

**Word Count:** 1,334

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"**My Name is Naraku"**

Two days had passed since his awakening, and Naraku had never felt better. Dark eyes surveyed the area as a smirk stretched across pale lips. He knelt down by a river, examining his new appearance with pleasure. He bore no resemblance to that fool Onigumo, and luckily, all of the feelings that had become so frequent for Onigumo had been banished with his existence; the only thing that remained of Onigumo was his flawed human heart—and his desire for the Shikon no Tama.

Even so, Naraku felt the need to pay homage to the feelings of deceit that had so consumed his former self's life. And so, that's what brought him to _this_ forest—the one that Akiko and Daichi had moved him to at such an early age.

He stared at the reflection again, closing his eyes and transforming into the exact way Onigumo had appeared just before he had left. Smirking once more, he stood, and turned towards the cave, still a good distance away. He tested his new demonic powers, and was thrilled to find that he could detect _everything_—like the fact that Akiko, Daichi, and little Kaiya were all home, blissfully unaware of what was about to come.

* * *

Akiko stopped in her tracks, holding Kaiya closely to her, before turning to Daichi, a worried gleam in her eyes. "I sense a dark aura," she said quietly, and then gave a small shudder, nearly waking Kaiya from her nap.

"A _very_ dark aura," Daichi agreed, frown pulling at the corners of his lips. Worried eyes fell on Kaiya before drifting back upwards towards his mate. "It's too close to run; whatever is out there would surely come after us."

Akiko inclined her head in agreement, still cuddling her daughter closely to her chest. "It would be best to stay and fight—at least that way, we'll be prepared." She closed her eyes, taking a breath to steady herself. "We'll need to protect her," she murmured, and the unspoken words lingered between the both. _We'll need to protect her where we couldn't protect __him__._

Ever since Onigumo had left, Akiko and Daichi had promised they wouldn't make the same mistake with Kaiya. They'd decided they wouldn't keep the truth from her, no matter how painful; they were almost sure that if they would've told Onigumo the truth from the beginning, he never would've run away.

But, they _had_ abided by his wish—they hadn't looked for him, however much they wanted to. They still weren't sure if they made the right decision in that, but they felt that they owed him at least a _little_ respect after never telling him the truth.

"Are you ready?" Daichi turned his eyes towards his mate, who had just put Kaiya up, securing a barrier around her from some of the sutras the human village had given to them. She nodded, her eyes sad as she stood with him, facing the mouth of the cave.

"Yes. If we must fight, we will; if not—then we are truly blessed." Her voice was a soft murmur; they both felt the dark aura drawing closer. "After all, I suppose it _is_ possible that this dark aura passes us by." Her tone was hopeful, but she was more reasonable than that—she knew it was a slim chance.

* * *

What neither of them expected was the form that appeared in the entrance to the cave—Akiko's heart nearly stopped at the sight of her son.

"O-Onigumo!"

Daichi's reserve was just as quickly lost, though more quickly regained than that of his mate's. After the initial shock, Daichi set his jaw. Neither of the two youkai missed the dark, _demonic_ aura that was coming from their son.

"Son?" Daichi's strong eyes were questioning, and Akiko's were watering—it took all she had not to rush up and give him a hug. They both had a feeling that this was not going to be a _pleasant_ reunion.

Naraku's eyes were dark and menacing, and a smirk pulled at the corners of his lips as he transformed; now, instead of appearing as Onigumo, he appeared as _himself_—as Naraku. "The Onigumo that you speak of no longer exists."

Any human would've been fooled; they would've thought that this was an evil demon that had destroyed Onigumo. And in part, they would be right—but Daichi and Akiko knew the piercing truth: that this was what was left of Onigumo—a ghost of the son they knew. Onigumo's faint scent was laced all throughout Naraku, and in an instant they knew that he had sold his soul to a demon—or, many, by the looks of it.

"I can see that," Akiko murmured sadly, and the temptation to reach out was just too great. Against her better judgment, her hand found her way in front of her, reaching out to the strange youkai in front of her.

"I assume you are not here for us to try and make amends," Daichi accused, though he knew neither he nor his mate would be able to fight him. He still had their son's _heart_, after all, however mutilated it might be.

"You would be correct." With a flash of his eyes, the entire cave set fire, and Naraku blocked the mouth of the cave, ensuring that they wouldn't escape.

"Onigumo, _please_!" Akiko was begging now, and she fell on her knees in front of him. "We were wrong to not have told you the truth—we just didn't know how to tell you!" Her pleas fell on deaf ears, and Naraku's only response was to turn his back on them.

"My name is _Naraku_."

* * *

When the fire had finally settled, Naraku stepped into the cave, nose wrinkled. As a youkai, he had a much more keen sense of smell than a human—but it was _not_ an inuyoukai's nose; in reality, it was only slightly better than a human's. But he had gained much more power, and he was certainly not complaining on such a silly matter.

The cave smelled of burnt flesh; it almost reminded him of the turning point on Onigumo's life—and the sight pleased him. He could see his former self's parents' ashes on the ground beneath him, flesh burned right off their bones—the fire had dissipated before their bones, too, were consumed.

He was about to praise himself on his first kill well done when a small cry caught his ears.

_Hn—Kaiya?_

Naraku made his way to the back of the cave, following the sounds of Kaiya's cries until he reached the area protected with a barrier. It seemed that the barrier had also offered protection against a fire—_interesting_.

He peeled off the sutra somewhat distastefully, the spiritual energy attached to it singing his skin slightly, but it was no match for _Naraku_. The barrier dissipated instantly, and Naraku stepped into what had been Onigumo's baby sister's room.

The sound of her cries was annoying, and he wanted to silence them—but he did not kill her. Instead, he took her, morphing once more into a random inuyoukai, and made his way to the village his parents had once lived in.

* * *

"W-Who are you?" Sanjiro's eyes widened at the sight of the new youkai. He _looked_ like an inuyoukai, but he sure didn't smell like one. And even Sanjiro could tell the aura surrounding him was evil.

"It is not important." Without further explanation, he handed Kaiya over to the boy, whose eyes widened even further.

"This is…Kaiya!" he exclaimed, and Naraku had to keep himself from rolling his eyes at the obvious statement.

"Akiko and Daichi met their demise; Kaiya was left alive." Sanjiro was just about to question about this new information, but when he looked up, Naraku was gone.

* * *

Whether Naraku left Kaiya alive because of the soft spot remaining for her in Onigumo's heart, or because he wanted her to experience the torment of growing up without parents, not even _Naraku_ knew.

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**End Note:** All good things must come to an end...even good and well-intentioned characters such as Akiko and Daichi. *shakes head sadly* Please review!


	10. Death of Kikyou & Sealing of Inuyasha

**A/N:** Alas, I did not forget! I was out all day: church and then Questapalooza! (It's a Christian concert - this year we had Group1Crew, Newsboys, and Switchfoot! Fun stuff.) ANYWAY, you didn't come here to read about my day. ;)

The title really doesn't leave much question to what happens in this chapter. Let's chalk it up to my lack of creativity when it comes to titles; they truly are the bane of my existence. (Especially when the _full_ title doesn't fit in the box. Darn my wordiness!)

**Word Count:** 1,394

Please enjoy!

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**The Death of Kikyou and the Sealing of Inuyasha**

Kikyou and Kaede were both baffled at the empty cave the following day, though Kikyou had known something was wrong from a mile off.

She shuddered at the dark, demonic aura that hung so heavy in the air it was almost tangible, and she noted that even Kaede seemed to be uneasy with the aura of the place. Given that Kaede's spiritual powers weren't nearly as developed as her own, this was an impressive feat, and she knew whatever youkai had been here had been many, even if they lacked a lot of power individually.

Placing her hand atop her younger sister's shoulder, Kikyou lowered her head momentarily. "It seems that Onigumo was attacked in our absence. He was either carried off or devoured; I do not suspect it was a pleasant death." Warm, brown eyes studied the shape that had been left in Onigumo's place, and she couldn't fathom a reason for it—she could only assume it was a byproduct of the attack, and thought nothing more of it.

As she said her prayers for his peace in the afterlife, she couldn't help but think of how he had been when she found him—and how much he'd changed over the course of the time she had spent caring for him.

* * *

_The day of the fire_

_Kikyou coughed as she pulled out yet another victim, already unconscious from the fire. His skin was black and deformed, and she could barely make out a face—though she knew it was there. She looked up to the villagers as they shook their heads, claiming he was not one of their own. He was a bandit; he was only going to steal from them and then be on his way._

_She knew they would leave him to die._

_After the rest of the victims were pulled out of the fire—some dead, some alive—and Kikyou bid the villagers farewell. They didn't protest when she took the unconscious male with her, hoisting him up on her horse and leading the horse in the direction of her own village, but the quiet glances they cast towards one another said more than their words ever could._

_It didn't matter, though. Kikyou didn't care much for what other people thought of her._

_Despite this, she knew her own village wouldn't approve, so instead she lead him to an empty cave. His clothes had been burned off, but Kikyou had seen much worse. She didn't __enjoy__ seeing others in pain, but at least he wasn't awake to wince at her attempts to make him more comfortable._

_With a cool, wet cloth, she washed his body as best he could, and then brought from the village as much bandaging as she could carry. She took care to wrap his body fully, applying salve in hopes to help with the wounds, though she doubted he could feel anything. Burns that bad caused numbness; she'd seen it many times before. She guessed he was paralyzed, too, but that would be discovered upon his waking._

_She couldn't help but be surprised when she turned him over, though—one of his burns looked suspiciously like a spider: dark and poisonous and ready to strike. She knew it was a bad omen, but her heart wouldn't allow her to just leave him to die. No one deserved this, bandit or not._

_She covered the spider burn up along with the rest of his body, and secured him into what she thought might have been a comfortable position. She waited for hours, but he never woke up, and she knew her village would be looking for her._

_With her departure, she vowed to come back every day until his death, to care for him as she would for anyone else. It was her duty as a miko—one she would not ignore._

* * *

A small sigh escaped Kikyou's lips as she finished the last of her prayers, and she turned to Kaede with that same, sad smile she'd had upon their departure the previous day. "Come, Kaede—we are no longer needed here. It is not the dead, but the living we care for."

As they left, they had no way of knowing that they were already being watched, far from the scope of Kikyou's abilities to detect him.

* * *

_Not long, now_. Naraku's eyes watched Kikyou as she positioned herself in a field, waiting for Inuyasha's arrival to proceed with using the jewel to make him human. As if he, Naraku, would _ever_ let the jewel go to waste like that.

As a few minutes passed, Naraku decided to make his move. Inuyasha wasn't known for being on time, and he was sure that he was in no rush to become human—but, still, he didn't want to risk being too late and losing his chance to get the tainted jewel.

He smirked as he flexed his claws, red kimono and white hair a perfect imitation of Inuyasha. The darkness behind his eyes really didn't suit his temporary appearance, but he assumed Kikyou would be much too off-guard to think anything of it.

In a matter of minutes, he was behind Kikyou, claws slicing through her shoulder with ease. When she fell, he laughed menacingly, bare foot crushing into the back of her hand as he stepped down and took the jewel.

He couldn't even describe how seeing Kikyou helpless satisfied a craving within his soul; his smirk widened even further as she reached after him, thinking him the one she loved.

_Foolish human,_ he thought as he turned and ran away, _now it's time to fool the foolish hanyou_.

In just moments he had transformed into the form of Kikyou—a form that he knew _much_ better than the hanyou's. He deposited the jewel back in the village; it was a risky move, but the jewel was still far too pure for him to actually be able to use. As he made his way to find Inuyasha, he knew the most important part of his little game was beginning—and he had to work extra hard to achieve the neutrality Kikyou usually wore on her face. After all, if _Kikyou_ was smirking, Inuyasha was bound to know something was up.

* * *

His time with Inuyasha was brief. He made sure to stay downwind, so Inuyasha wouldn't detect the difference in scent—_if_ Inuyasha's nose was even _that_ keen.

"Die, Inuyasha!" Only Naraku would've been able to muster that amount of hatred in two simple words; even though Onigumo's feelings for Kikyou had died along with that human body, Naraku still despised Inuyasha with every fiber of his being—for whatever the reason. _Inuyasha…suffer_.

The arrows flew with his words, masked perfectly in Kikyou's voice, just missing Inuyasha and sailing into the trees. As Inuyasha's eyes widened and he began running, astounded at this sudden change in "Kikyou's" personality, Naraku was unable to hide the smirk. He was grateful for his archery training when he was a boy—maybe it was the one thing Onigumo's parents had ever done for him that was _good_.

Since Inuyasha was out of sight, Naraku laughed again as he transformed into his true self, deciding to make himself scarce—in a place he could watch the couple's demise.

* * *

"K-Kikyou…I thought…" Inuyasha sagged against the tree, the jewel falling from clawed hands. The spell was done—and Inuyasha was sealed. _Not dead_, Kikyou thought to herself as she fell to her knees, grabbing the jewel as it rolled towards her, _but sealed for all eternity._

She winced as Kaede came to her aid, and when she told her they would tend to her wounds, Kikyou simply shook her head. She was beyond saving—and she knew that. Besides, she knew she couldn't go on living without Inuyasha; she also knew it would be too tempting to continue on with a spell so easily broken. She had no doubt that, if given the chance, she might free Inuyasha from the spell she had bound him with—she was in too deep. In addition to that, she could feel her life slipping away, and she knew that no amount of herbs would help.

"Take the jewel and burn it with my body," she commanded, and with a few more breaths, she was gone, fallen to the ground with her hand still wrapped around the jewel.

* * *

**End Note: **Meh...sorry if that was rather anti-climactic. I don't feel that I am very good at writing action scenes. But...that's where your reviews come in! Tell me what you think; pretty please? (I am not above begging.) ;)


	11. Epilogue: The Birth of Something New

**A/N:** The story is complete! I believe this is my first completed multi-chapter story, so yay for that? It's kinda exciting, haha. I _will_ be finishing all my other stories-with the exception, maybe, of Unexpected (and if I do finish it, I'm probably going to be doing some reworking).

Anyway, keep an eye out for _Intertwined_; as I may have mentioned before, the prologue to _that_ story is the epilogue of _this_ one. I probably won't post _anything_ on it (even though this tidbit is already written) until I get my computer back - which I am taking in _today_. The sooner I send it in, the sooner I get it back, right? :D

I really hope you all have enjoyed this story. I will stop babbling so you can get to it. :)

**Word Count: **1000

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**Epilogue: The Birth of Something New**

The jewel was gone, but his lust remained. There were so many new feelings raging inside of him, impulses warring against sense as he looked for a new purpose. His plan to take the tainted jewel had backfired when Kikyou had it burned with her body, the jewel remaining _pure_. He had no hopes of ever finding the jewel again—so he needed amusement.

Dark eyes nearly sparkled at the sight of her: dark hair, bright eyes, and an aura nearly as dark as his own.

In an instant, he appeared in front of her—no trickery, no illusion—just he, himself. With a smirk that made her shiver, he took her hand. The possessiveness in his grasp didn't turn her off from him, but quite the opposite—she knew she had to have him, just as he had to have her.

"Your name?" It was the first thing he said to her, and they were both already intrigued: she with his power, and he with the fact that she looked strikingly like Kikyou, save her bright, blue eyes.

"Sekeida. And you?"

"Naraku." His voice was smooth and inviting, and instead of resisting it, she pulled him closer to her, welcoming his intentions fully.

"Enchanted."

Dark energy crackled against his skin, burning it slightly, and he loved every minute of it. It satisfied something within his soul, however brief, and though he wouldn't fool himself into thinking he loved the dark miko, he knew he would keep her around for awhile.

* * *

"Lying again, I see," Naraku seethed as his eyes bore into the dark miko's back, as if he was trying to kill her with his gaze alone. He was beyond furious—a feeling that was only fueled when her only answer was to turn to look at him and smirk.

"You do not own me, Naraku." Her voice was calm, though her heart jumped slightly when his eyes fell on her bulging belly. Nine months had passed since their first meeting, and Naraku had highly regretted falling into the impulse that was Sekeida.

"Not _you_, perhaps. But the child is _mine_."

"Never!"

This time, it was Naraku who smirked, and it sent a shiver down her spine—_this_ time, for a different reason. She, too, regretted falling into her impulse with him; her amusement with him had barely lasted beyond the night. But she wasn't going to allow her baby to grow up fatherless—and, unfortunately, the child _was_ undoubtedly fathered by him.

"You have been nothing but lies since we met; you owe me at least _this_." Finding out that Sekeida was _actually_ a hanyou in addition to being a dark miko had just been the first of many surprises—one he had discovered on the morning they had awoken.

He still couldn't say that he loved her—or that he _ever_ loved her—but he was supposed to be the manipulative one, and he wouldn't stand for her lies any longer. As soon as that baby was born, he was killing her—and Sekeida knew that.

"Fine. You want the truth?" Naraku gave a single nod, though he already knew what she was going to say. "I have not been faithful to you. _Ever_. But I never claimed I would be. You being the father of my child does _not_ make you my mate." She lifted her chin, pushing her shoulders back, managing to look more dignified than ever. "I take no one as my mate; it has _always_ been so."

Naraku's youki flared. Just because he had never loved her didn't mean he would stand for being disrespected in such a blatant way. She showed no remorse for her actions, but he would make her _feel_ remorse, even if it came in her death.

Dark eyes rested on her stomach once more, and the smirk that had so enchanted her at first returned, only managing to disgust her further.

"The baby is _mine_," he repeated, his voice colder than she'd ever heard it before.

* * *

After hours of labor, Naraku was growing impatient. He, of course, expected her to deliver the baby on her own—after how she had treated him, she hadn't deserved any help. He let a growl rip through his throat as he entered her bedchamber, arms crossed as he stared at the pain-stricken dark miko in front of him. It just so happened that the birth of their child was occurring on the night she was human, which was probably making the birth more painful for her, much to his pleasure.

"Are you almost done?"

Sekeida shot a glare that could've spelled his death if she had been able to attack, but simply gave a nod. "I get to choose the name," she declared, and Naraku didn't see much importance in arguing with her. The name wasn't what was important, anyway—it didn't affect how he would get to raise the child.

The time seemed to stretch on for eternity, when finally a sharp cry pierced his ears. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the head…of his _daughter_.

Sekeida's breathing grew sharp, and Naraku could smell death on her. He wouldn't have to do much to end her life, he decided—this birth was taking its toll on her well enough. But when the baby was completely born, Sekeida smirked at him.

"Her name is Mitsuko." Her voice was quiet, and though she despised the man who was her father, it was evident that she loved her little girl. She sent one last glare in his direction, coupled with a smirk, and her final words nearly sent a chill down Naraku's spine. "She will be your curse," she promised—just as Naraku pierced her heart, killing her instantly.

He took the little girl in his arms, and Onigumo's heart beat in protest within him when Naraku promised himself he did not—would not—love her. He would never love _anything_.

"Mitsuko," he murmured, rolling his eyes at the name.

_Mitsuko…child of light._

* * *

**End Note:** And...it's over! Anyway, I would LOVE to know your all's opinions, both of the chapter alone and how the story stands in completion. So...please review! Since it's the final chapter of the story, I _promise_ I will reply to every review I get here! ;) And to those of you who have already been reviewing - or those of you who have been reading in general: thanks for being so great and sticking with me through the story! It means a lot. :D


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